Game apparatus



p 1957 H. P. c. KEULS 2,807,470

GAME APPARATUS Filed July '6, 1954 DEI DDCI

DUDE

63x DDDDDU-D V EI/hu unuum I 1 1 DDCIEIEI IN V ENTOR TTORNEY GAME APPARATUS Henry P. C. Keuls, Pittstown, N. J.

Application July 6, 1954, Serial No. 441,210

2. Claims. (Cl. 273-130) This invention relates to game apparatus.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a novel form ofgame apparatus which combines, in use thereof, the exercise of manual dexterity as Well as mental skill, and at the same time afiords an exciting degree of amusement and a high order of interest to the players. r

A further object of the invention is to provide a game apparatus of the aforesaid character, which may be constructed'at relatively low cost and with relatively few and simple component parts. 5'

Another object of the invention is to provide game apparatus of this character suitable for use by, andas amusing and interesting to, adults as it is for children.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of a game apparatus of this'character, especially designed for uniquely challenging the mental agility and manual dexterity of the players. 7 I

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention, broadly stated, comprises playing pieces for positioning on a suitableplaying surface, the pieces. including a number of relatively elongated pins 'orpost-like members, each constructed at one end thereof for placement in vertical position on the playing surface, and each constructed at the other end thereof for cooperative engagement with one of a corresponding number of sepa rable disc members, the latter each being constructed in such manner as to be capable ofa relatively long-lasting spinning motion, when engaged with such oppositeends of the post-like members. 7

By constructing the playing pieces in this manner, and providing a suflicient number of such posts and disc members," there is afforded, in accordance with my invention, an apparatus capable of use, as a highly interestingand exciting game when played, either by children or adults, with the objective of placing and "retaining on the playnited States Patent ing surface as many as possible of the posts with: the I discs all in simultaneous spinning movementthereon.

More specifically, according to the embodiment of the. invention hereinillustrated and described, the playing surface may be in theform of a suitable size board, provided with a multitude of relatively closely spaced holes for receiving and firmly holding one'end of each of the post members, the latter each having their opposite ends formed with a bearing surface,. preferably of frusto-sphericalshape, and the disc' members each being in the form of coneswhich are relatively shallow (i. e.,

having a diameter at the base three to five times its axial dimension) and which have interiorly at the apex thereof a hollow portion suitably shaped for engagement with and spinning movement on the bearing surfaces of the posts.

Preferably, the game is played according to suitable scoring rules predicated upon the number of such discs the players are able to place and keep spinning all at the same time on the playing surface during each round of play' of. the game. sincetthis-will depend'primarily upon the manual adeptness or dexterity of the individual 2,807,470 Patented Sept 24, 1957 players participating, in causing successive ones of the discs to spin on their posts and in placing the posts with their spinning discs in position at desirable locations on the playing surface, a high order of interest is achieved by the players in developing their individual skill in those respects for attaining a winning score; at the same time, much amusement is atforded to the players and observers, by reason of the frequent occurrence of errors, mishaps, or other incidents during play, which give rise to ending a players turn or round, as may be provided in the rules for play. Several appropriate sets of rules of play and scoring, which I have found suitable and highly entertaining when used in connection with the apparatus of my invention, are set forth in detail herebelow.

The invention, its objects and advantages, will more readily appear from the detailed description below and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in crosssection, showing one of the posts and its companion spinning disc in place on the playing surface, the latter being shown only fragmentarily.

Fig. 3 is a view, in elevation, showing the preferred form of a post member constituting one of the playing pieces of the apparatus; and

Fig. 4 is a view, in vertical cross-section, showing the preferred form of disc member constituting one 'of the playing pieces of the apparatus, constructed for use-with the post-member of Fig. 3. Y

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates generally the playing surface of my apparatus. In the preferred form illustrated, the playing surface comprises a board of suitable dimension and of desirable shape. 'Thus, as shown, the board may be square-shaped, although obviously it may be of other rectangular, or of circular or other geometric shape. In the square shape shown, the board may suitably be say nine to twelve, or even more, inches square.

The board, constituting the playing surface, is preferably made from a plastic material, such as a suitable mix-' ture of polystyrene and acrylonitrile or like resin. It will be obvious, however, that the board may be made of wood, metal or other suitable material.

The board may be of any suitable cross-sectional dimension'and contour. In the preferred form, as will be seen from Fig. 2, the board comprises a portion 12 normally extending in a horizontal plane and having at each of its bounding edges a downwardly extending flange or rim 14, extending preferably at an angle of to the portion 12, the upper or playing surface of the board being indicated at 16.

The board is preferably provided on its lower surface tegrally with the portion 12 of the board. The flanges 14 serve to support the portion 12 in spaced relation to the surface of a table or like firm base upon which the board may be placed.

When the board is composed of aresin plastic, for example of the type above-mentioned, it may readily be produced by conventional methods of injection moulding. In specific terms, for purposes of illustration herein, the moulding die may be formed so that the portion 12 will have a thickness of approximately 0.075 in'ch, the flanges 14 will 'have'a height of approximately 0.375 inch and a thickness of approximately. 0.090 inch, and the ribs 18 3 will have a heigh-tof approximately'025 inch and a thickness of approximately 0.070 inch.

The portion 12, constituting the playing surface, is provided with a multiplicity of apertures 20, preferably square" in outline, and dimensioned for firm btit detaeh able engagement thcrein of the post-like playing pieces hereinafter described. The apertures may be arranged in longitudinally and transversely extending rows, and at desired distances from one another in each row. The spacing of the apertures from one another may con veniently, in the case, for example, of a board which is 12 inches square, be 0.35 inch on centers, the apertures themselves being approximately 0.15 inch square.

and. arrangement of the apertures are, in accordance witlr the invention, s'uchas' to enable any one of to" receive and firmly hold in vertical position (see Fig. 2) but, in detachable engagement, any one of a pluralityof the post-like members" 30, three of such being indicated in the plan viewof Fig. 1.

As will be more clearly seen from Figs. 2 and 3, the members each preferably takes the form of an elongated post or pin, circular in cross-section and having the lower portion thereof formed with a reduced, somewhat tapered stem 32, forming an annular shoulder 34 at a distance. above the slightly blunted lower end or tip of the post, less than the height of the-flanges 14 of the board 12p The diameter of the stem 32 is such in relation to the dimensions of the apertures 20 in the board as to enable the stem to be readily inserted by a player in any of the apertures :undei relatively slight manual pressure, until the shoulder 34 is brought. into contact with the upper surface 16 of the board.

In terms of specific illustration, with a board having square apertures 20 which measure approximately 0.15 inch square, the cross sectional diameter of the posts 30 may be approximately 0.20 inch, and the cross-sectional diameter of the stems 32 adjacent the shoulders 34 may be. wpmximately 0.15 inch, tapering downwardly to approximately 0.11 inch diameter at the lower end thereof,- the length of the stem portion being say 0.22 inch.

The opposite end portion of each post 30 is preferably W axially, asindicatcd at 36, and is formed at its outer end. with a bearing surface 37 which preferably is o! fume-spherical shape. The diameter of the truste spherical bearing surface 37 may conveniently be 0.050 inch.

\ The over-all length of the posts 30 may be, say, 2% to 3% iinches and they are, as in the case of thevboard .10,

preferably formed from a'plastic material such as of the type above mentioned. However, as will be apparent, they may, if desired, be made from wood, metal, or other material. If'desircd, when. the posts are made from wood or plastic; or other material of a character that does not lend itself readily to the provision of a bearing surface of 10W frictional resistance, the. bearing member 37 maybe a separate member made from material having a suitably lowcoefiicicnt of, friction, such as polished steel, which may be fused or otherwise fixedly secured to the outer end of the tapered portion 36.

In conjunction with the. posts 30 there are provided, in accordance with the invention, a plurality of disc-like members which, together with the. posts, constitute the playing pieces of the apparatus. Each of the members 40 may be made ofthe same material as the posts 30 and is constructed for cooperative engagement with any of the posts for enabling the members 40 to be manually given a relatively long-lasting spinning motion when seated on the bearing surface 37 of any of the posts.

Tothat end, the disc lik'e members are each formed on one face thereof with an axially located seating surface 41 configured and dimensioned complementarily to the bearing surface 37 of the posts;

In the preferred embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 4 each of the members 40 takes the form of a relatively shallow cone whose base diameter may be, say, one and one-half to two inches, and about 3 to 5 times its height at the axis of the cone. This preferred form of the disc accordingly resembles the canopy of an open umbrella. In this embodiment, the interior face of the cone is formed with a hub portion 43 extending axially inward with respect to the apex of the cone a distance preferably somewhat less than the length ofthe tapered portions 36 of the posts, the inner wall 44 of the hub tapering inwardly and terminating at the seating surface 41. The peripheral edge of the discs are preferably scalloped as indicated at 45.

Thus, when any of the discs 40 is placed on one of the posts 30 with the surface 41 seated on the bearing surface 37 of the latter, and is given a fairly vigorous spin, it will continue to spin thereon for a substantial length of time, governed mainly by the vigor and deftness of the manual effort employed to start it spinning, as well as by the characteristics of frictional differential between these surfaces and the aerodynamic momentum created at the inner, cone-shaped face of the disc.

This cooperative action between the posts 30 and disc members 40' may accordingly be made the function of the playing pieces for a game apparatus of the character above referred to.

Thus, by utilizing a plurality of such posts and a corresponding number of such disc members, a highly entertain'ing game involving manual dexterity and considerable mental skill will be provided when the players endeavor to position on a playing surface, such as the apertured board- 10, as many as possible of the posts with the discs spinning s'iirlultarieously thereon,- and to keep any of the thus positioned discs from ceasing their spinning motion,

as well as to avoid knocking any of the spinning discs from a post while the player is in the act of positioning on the playing surface another of the postswith its disc spinning thereon.

As already indicated above, any appropriate rules of play and ofs'coring by the players may be adopted, predi eaten upon the" success achieved by the individual players in placing and retaining as many as possible of the spinning, discs in place on the playing surface and all simultaneeusly s inning thereon.

V The following may be taken as illustrative of such rules.

Rules of play Assuming the playing surface is in the form and size of the board as above described, and that there are provided as one complete set of playing pieces, say nine posts and nine discs as above described, the board will be placed at aconvenicnt distance in front of the players.

The postsand discs are placed by eachplayer loosely in the most handy arrangement in front of him as he may regard most conducive to his picking them up individually with the greatest facility.

The playerpicks up one post, places a disc on the hearing surface thereof, spins the disc, and then places the post; with its spinning disc in any one of the apertures of the board. V

The player thenpicks up a second post, places a disc onits bearing surface, spins the disc and places the post and disc in any other aperture in the board, continuing to do thiswith the other. posts and. discs, one after another, until as many. as possible of the nine posts and their spinning: discs are placed in position on the board. If during the process of putting any of the posts with a spinning disc on the board, any disc falls off any post, or if any spinning. disc already on the board sto s spinning, the player is finished for that round. All the posts and discs are then removed from the board and the next player takes his turn and proceeds likewise.

If a player-picks up a post and spins a disc on it so that it falls oif'the post" before he places the post in one of'thc; apertures of the board, the player is finished for that round.

Any one or more of the spinning discs already on the board and seen by the player to be slowing up may be given another spin or spins by the player as often as he wishes, at any time during his round, so long as he does not remove the post from the board or does not jar or otherwise cause any disc to fall off any post.

So long as all discs previously in place on the board continue to spin simultaneously, player can continue to place more posts with spinning discs on the board, but finishes his round when any of the discs stop spinning or fall off their posts.

Posts with spinning discs maybe placed in any of the apertures in the board, according to the judgment of the player, for gaining a maximum score.

Scoring-Example I No points are credited for players score in any round until at least three spinning discs have been placed on the board in that round.

If the player in any round places less than 3 spinning discs on the board, he suffers a penalty of say points from his score for each disc of the first 3 which is not kept spinning. For instance, if the player has only two spinning discs before the round is ended by the rules of play above stated, he loses 30 points from his score; if he has only one spinning, he loses 60 points; and if he has none spinning, he loses 90 points.

After the player succeeds in placing three spinning discs on the board, the player receives a score of 30 points, plus the following scores for additional spinning discs placed on the board before the player finishes his round:

Points 4th spinning disc 25 5th spinning disc 6th spinning disc 7th spinning disc 60 8th spinning disc 80 9th spinning disc 125 A total of say 1500 points may be established as the winning score.

Sc0ringExample II In order to lend even more exciting interest to the game, in terms of the skill and judgment of the players, the playing surface, such as the board described above may be provided with suitable means or indicia marking off a limited area or zone thereof wherein it would be more dificult for the players to succeed in placing all of the posts with their discs all in simultaneous spinning motion, and the scoring rules may provide for suitable premium or bonus points in accordance therewith.

Thus, there is shown by way of illustration in Fig. l, a relatively large circle centrally of the board, defining a limited or premium area 60. The circle may be imprinted on the surface of the board, or may be in the form of an upstanding rib or the like, either as an integral part of the board or as a separate, detachable member. As will be apparent, the area may, if desired, be of square or other outline in lieu of the circular outline shown.

With such an arrangement on the playing surface, the rules of play may be the same as above stated, with the addition, however, that each player, in any of his rounds of play, may elect to place the spinning discs in the premium zone 60. Likewise, the scoring rules may be the same as stated under Example I above, with the proviso that after a player succeeds in placing three spinning discs on the board, he will receive certain premium or bonus points for additional spinning discs located within zone 60, in addition to the 30 points according to the scoring rules of Example I.

Thus, the scoring system may, in the instance of the present example, provide that if the player has succeeded in thus placing the first three spinning discs in apertures located within zone 60, he will receive premium points; as follows:

In this instance, a higher total number of points than suggested under Example I, say a total of 2000, may desirably be established as the winning score.

Also, in this instance, the scoring rules may provide that after a playerhas succeeded in placing the first three or more spinning discs consecutively in bonus zone 60, he may place subsequent ones, in the same round of play, outside of zone 60, but in such case is to receive for such subsequent ones only the regular values or points as set out under Example I.

As will now be evident from all the foregoing, the invention provides a game apparatus constructed and designed in such manner as to offer uniquely challenging oportunities to the players for the exercise of mental skill and manual dexterity.

Still additional challenges may be imposed, however, by incorporating additional features in the form or design of the component parts above described. For example, in lieu of the uniformly spaced apertures 20 inthe board, as illustrated, these apertures may be non-uniformly spaced from one another in all or only selected ones of the several rows thereof; or, instead of being arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, they may be positioned along concentric circles of uniformly or non-uniformly increasing radii.

Again, for example, the posts 30 may differ from one another in color, and the disc members 40 be of corresponding colors, to enable the adoption of supplemental scoring rules by which the player would receive bonus or premium points if he succeeds, in any round of play, in utilizing discs of the colors corresponding to the colors of the posts on which the player has placed them in spinning motion.

Although the invention has been herein illustrated and described with reference to a playing surface in the form of a portable playing board, it will be apparent that the invention may be embodied in playing pieces comprising a suitable number of posts having bearing surfaces as above described at one end thereof, and a corresponding number of disc members capable of spinning motion thereon as described, the other end of the posts being pointed or otherwise suitably formed for easy insertion thereof in any relatively penetrable base. Thus, the posts and discs may be made of suflicient size to be used in accordance with the invention, as an outdoor game, using as the playing surface therefor an area of suitable size marked off in any convenient fashion on level ground or lawn, the tapered or pointed lower ends of the posts being merely forced manually into the ground.

Having thus described in detail certain embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that these are intended and are to be considered merely illustrative thereof, and that numerous variations or modifications may be adopted or resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a playing surface formed with a multiplicity of spaced apertures, a plurality of elongated post members, and a plurality of disc members, each of said post members terminating in a frustospherical bearing surface at one end thereof, eachof said disc members being in the form of a relatively shallow cone and having a hollow hub extending interiorly thereof, the inner wall of the hub terminating adjacent the apex of the cone in a seating surface complementary to said bearing surface of the post members so as to enable 7 any of saiddisc members to be given spinning movement 0n said bearing surface of any of the'pos't members, the qppqsite end of each of the post members being shaped for firm but readily detachable insertion in any of said apertures.

2. A game apparatus comprising, in combination, a playing surface formed with a multiplicity Qf apertures therein, a plurality of elongated post members, and a plurality of discs, one end of each of said pds't members being formed with a reduced portidii enabling the member to be fir'titlybtit detachably psitioned in any of said apertures,-

fipdsite nd of each said post member terminating in a thew-spherical bearing surface, each of said discs" being ifltlid farm at a shallow cone and having a hnb extending inmrinriy' of the apex of the cone,- said hub being frr'ned adja'cent; the apex with a seating surface having a c'qnfour' eoniplementa'ry to the bearing surface 0f said postmembers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

